Amusement device



E. E. BEHR.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLICATION FlL ED JULY 9| I921.

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atbo'cmq E. E. BEHR. AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9.1921.

Patented Nov. 7, 1922..

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EMIL E. BEER, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

. Application fiIed. Julv 9, 1921. Serial No. 483,477.

To all'whom it may concern Be it known that EMIL E. Benn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, has invented new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices of which the following is a specifica tion. I

The objectof the invention is to provide a simple and entertaining device of a type calling for competitive effort on the part of the participants and the exercise of skill, judgment and control in the operation there of to secure the desired result; and with this object in view the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure -1 is a side view partly in section of an apparatus embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a front view ing a plurality of the units arranged in a battery for actuation by competing participants.

Figure 3 is a sectional View of the chute designed for the reception of the playing ball or object when properly positioned by the air blast.

Figure at is a horizontal sectional view of the chute. Figure 5 is a detail section indicated by the line 55 of Figure 1.

The apparatus consists of a-plurality or any desired number of units vl0 which may on the plane be distinguishably designated as indicated in Figure 2 by consecutive numbers such as 3, 4, 5, indicated in said figure, each unit embodying essentially a blow pipe or stack 11 arranged in a substantially upright but preferably slightly inclined position as shown in Figure l with the front Wall thereof consisting of a transparent panel 12 of glass or like material to give an unobstructive, view of the ball or playing object 13 which is mounted therein subject to the influence of ablast of air projected into the lower end of the blow pipe or stack by means of a rotary blower l manually actuable by any suitable means under the complete control of the operator or participant in the game as for example the driving sprocket l5 having a crank 16, and a chain 17 traversing said sprocket and also a smaller sprocket 18 on the spindle of the blower fan.

The blow pipe or stack is provided near of the same showits upper end with a lateral outlet opening 19 of a size adapted to permit of the passage therethrough of the ball 13 when positioned in precise registration therewith the diameter of the opening being substantially equal with that of the ball, and said outlet opening communicates with a downwardly inclined chute 20 adapted for the reception of the ball and having arranged therein a tiltable platform 21 fulcrumed as at 22 and adapted to be depressed at the end adjacent to the outlet 19 by the weight of the ball 13 to bring the other end of said platform into contact with a pin 23, said pin and the adjacent end of the platform constituting terminals of a circuit closer included in an electrical circuit 24 also including a battery or other source of energy shown at 25 and an alarm mechanism 26.

In operation the object is to turn the crank at such a rate as to produce a blast of air sufiicient to raise the ball in the pipe 'or stack to a point just suflicient to enable it to pass through the outlet opening 19 into the chute whereupon the contact thereof with the platform will close the circuit and announce the. successful operation by the sounding of the alarm. An indicator 27 may also be used in the same connection for actuation by the same circuit to indicate the number or designation of the unit which has been successfully operated so that with several participants engaged in the contest it is obvious from the indicator when a contestant has succeeded in properly manipulating the apparatus.

Arranged in the chute is a kick-back lever or arm 28 fulorumed as at 29 and having an actuating spring 30 so as to obstruct the movement of the ball in the chute and maintain it upon the upper end of the platform 21 and thus insure the proper closing of the circuit to operate the alarm and annunciator.

The blow pipe or stack is extended above the plane of the outlet 19 so that a blast of air which is in excess of that necessary to raise the ball to the proper height will carry it in the outlet and thus defeat the object of the operator and correspondingly an insufficient blast as will be obvious will permit the ball to occupy a position below the plane of the outlet, so that the blast must be controlled so as to exactly position the ball in registration with the opening in order to permit it to pass through and into the chute so as to close the circuit and score.

The upper end of the blow pipe or stack and the remote end of the chute are provided with means for controlling the outlet of air therethrough so as to modify the difficulty with which the playing object may be diverted into the chute in the course of its passage upward through the pipe or stack, and in the construction illustrated these means consist of slides 81 and 32 serving to close said parts and either of which may be opened more or less or both may be opened to different distances according to the preferences of the players or the attendant. Obviously there is a relief of pressure at the upper end of the blow pipe or stack to an extent greater than that at the outer end of the chute the tendency of the object in traversing the former will be to pass the outlet opening and thus increase the diiii culty with which the object may be caused to enter the chute. On the other hand if the relief of pressure as by the opening of the slide 32 is greater in the chute the tendency of the object upon reaching the level of the outlet opening is to enter the chute rather than to pass the same. Hence by varying these outlets or the positions of these means for controlling the outlets or the back pressure or relief of air from the said parts, it

' is possible to materially modify the difficulties in attaining the object of the apparatus,

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and useful is 1. An amusement apparatus having an upright blow pipe or stack for guiding a playing object, manually controllable blast producing means in communication with the lower end of the pipe or stack for progressively moving said object therein, and a chute in communication with the pipe or stack by a lateral opening in the latter located at an intermediate portion of the v length thereof.

52. An amusement apparatus having an upright blow pipe or stack for guiding a playing object, manually controllable blast producing means in communication with the lower end of the pipe or stack for progressively moving said object therein, and a chute in communication with the pipe or stack by a lateral opening in the latter located at an intermediate portion of the length thereof, said opening being of a size adapted to permit of the passage of the object when accurately registered therewith.

3. An amusement apparatus having an upright blow pipe or stack for guiding a playing object, manually controllable blast producing means in communication with the lower end of the pipe or stack for progressively moving said object therein, and a chute in communication with the pipe or stack by a lateral opening in the latter located at an intermediate portion of the length thereof, and means for controlling the eX- haust of air from one of said elements.

4:. An amusement apparatus having an upright blow pipe or stack for guiding a playing object, manually controllable blast producing means in communication with the lower end of the pipe or stack for progressively moving said object therein, and a chute in communication with the pipe or stack by a lateral opening in the latter located at an intermediate portion of the length thereof, means for controlling the exhaust of air from said blow pipe or stack and chute.

5. An amusement apparatus having an upright blow pipe or stack for guiding a play ing object, manually controllable blast producing means in communication with the lower end of the pipe or stack for progressively moving said object therein, and a chute in communication with the pipe or stack by a lateral opening in the latter located at an intermediate portion of the length thereof, and means for independently controlling the relative exhaust of air from said blow pipe or stack and chute.

6. An amusement apparatus having an upright blow pipe or stack for guiding a playing object, manually controllable blast producing means in communication with the lower end of the pipe or stack for progressively moving said object therein, and a chute in communication with the pipe or stuck bya lateral opening in the latter located at an intermediate portion of the length thereof, independent means, for controlling the exhaust of air from said blow pipe or stack and chute.

7r An amusement apparatus having an upright blow pipe or stack for guiding a playing object, manually controllable blast producing means in communication with the lower end of the pipe or stack for progressively moving said object therein, and a chute in communication with the pipe or stack by a lateral opening in the latter located at an intermediate portion of the length thereof, and means in the chute for announcing the entrance of the object thereinto. v

8. An amusement apparatus having an upright blow pipe or stack for guiding a playing object, manually controllable blast producing means in communication with the lower end of the pipe or stack for progressively moving said object therein, and a chute in communication with the pipe or stack by a lateral opening in the latter lo cated at an intermediate portion of the length thereof, a'tilting platform arranged in the chute for actuation by said object and an annunciator mechanism controlled by the platform.

9. An amusement apparatus having an upright blow pipe or stack for guiding a playing object, manually controllable blast producing means in communication with the lower end of the pipe or stack for progressively moving said object therein, and a chute in communication with the pipe or stack by a lateral opening in the latter located at an intermediate portion of the length thereof, a tilting platform arranged in the chute for actuation by said object and controlling an annunciator mechanism, and a kick-back device located in the path of the object for maintaining the latter in operative relation with the platform.

10. An amusement apparatus having an upright blow pipe or stack for guiding a playing object, manually controllable blast producing means in communication With the lower end of the pipe or stack for progressively moving said object therein, and a chute in communication with the pipe or stack by a lateral opening in the latter located at an intermediate portion of the length thereof, a tilting platform arranged in the chute for actuation by said object and controlling an annunciator mechanism, and a kick-back device located in the path of the object for maintaining the latter in operative relation with the platform, said kick back mechanism including a spring actuated lever having an arm in the path of the playing object.

In testimony whereof, he aflixes his signature.

EMIL E. BEHR. 

